


twenty-four seconds

by loveydovely



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 12:14:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20242690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveydovely/pseuds/loveydovely
Summary: Mal paused. “Are you really timing me?”She nodded. “Better get started. Twenty-four…”





	twenty-four seconds

**Author's Note:**

> come check me out on tumblr at loveydovely.tumblr.com

Evie could think of a million things she could be doing instead of arguing with her girlfriend. The way spiteful words flow out of Mal’s mouth so easily is nothing but terrifying. And Evie knows she doesn’t mean a word, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s not the least bit concerning. The pair can’t agree on anything anymore. Just the tiniest, slightest disagreement is enough to push the both to the edge. Mal is _ always _ the first to blow up (she _ will _ speak up if something isn’t her way). Evie tended to stay quiet while Mal yells and yells to get her point across, but she recently she had started to stop submitting and yelling back.

Mal would leave the apartment they shared. Grab a drink and get wasted alone. It was her way of coping with her issues. That’s just the way she was. By now, Mal knew that Evie would still be upset with her when she was done with the bottle. So by the time she was done drinking, when she could no longer walk, she would call up Jay, who would barely be able to understand what she was saying through her slur, and end up staying at his and Gil’s apartment for the night (or, at that point, early morning). The next day, when Mal’s head still felt ten-feet wide, Gil would drop her off at her and Evie’s apartment. Evie, who was usually awake when Mal came home in the morning, thought it was best not to mention the argument the night before and the both of them would pretend nothing happened. It was better if none of them mentioned it.

Tonight, however, was different. In argument about Evie not quite being able to pay her share of the rent, Evie kicked Mal out of the apartment. Jay had refused to let her stay, saying she needed to resolve her issues with Evie herself. Carlos and Jane hadn’t answered the phone, either. And just as Harry was about to offer his and Uma’s apartment for the night, Uma was quick to say no and hung up the phone for him. So here Mal was, with wobbly knees and a foggy mind, with a bouquet of gas-station flowers in one hand and another on the doorknob.

Evie looked up from her laptop and sighed at Mal, who stumbled into the living room. She was doing work on the black leather couch as usual.

“Hey,” Mal slurred. 

“What do you want now?” Evie asked coldly, looking back at her laptop.

Mal took a few steps closer to the couch, almost tripping on the carpet, and stumbled onto the space on the couch next to Evie. She gave her girlfriend a crooked smile and held the flowers out to her.

“Nice gesture,” Evie said, almost sarcastically, “but flowers won’t pay rent, Mal, remember?”

“I’m sorry,” Mal muttered. “Would you just let me explain myself?”

“Fine.” Evie closed her laptop and faced Mal. “You got twenty-four seconds.”

Mal paused. “Are you really timing me?”

She nodded. “Better get started. _ Twenty_-_four_…”

“Since you gotta have it your way—”

“_Twenty_-_three_,” Evie said icily.

“Look, I’m sorry I’ve been on edge lately—”

“_Twenty_-_two_.”

“Ben’s really been working me over—”

“_Twenty_-_one_.”

“And I’ve been taking it out on you instead of talking to you—”

“_Twenty_.”

“But it’s not your fault if you can’t quite pay this month. I really don’t mind paying some of your share—”

“_Nineteen_.”

“E, I don’t care if we’re living here, or in a cardboard box on the street. As long as I’m with you—”

Evie scoffed and rolled her eyes. “_Eighteen_.”

“I’ll ask Ben to let me work extra hours until you can get back on your feet—”

“_Seventeen_.”

“I’ll even ask my dad for some money if it would help you—”

“_Sixteen_.”

“Whatever it is you need me to do, I’ll do it—”

“_Fifteen_.”

“And I’ll stop being such a bitch from here on out—”

“_Fourteen_.”

“I just need you here with me, E—”

Evie’s expression softened a little, but she was still counting. “_Thirteen_.”

“I can’t imagine living without you—”

“_Twelve_.”

“You are the reason I’m still sane—”

“_Eleven_.”

“I know I’ve been so hard to live with lately—”

“_Ten_.”

“I’m so thankful you’re still here—”

“_Nine_.”

“You’ve always been here for me—”

“_Eight_.”

“I feel like lately I’ve been taking you for granted—”

“_Seven_.”

“The leaving, the arguing, everything, I know, is tiring—”

“_Six_.”

“But sometimes you just gotta bear with me—”

“_Five_.”

“And I promise I’ll try my hardest to be better at controlling my temper—”

“_Four_.”

“Because I’m so tired of fighting with you—”

“_Three_.”

Mal grabbed Evie’s hand. “I don’t wanna lose you, ever—”

“_Two_.” Evie smiled.

“You gotta trust me when I tell you there isn’t anyone else as amazing as you in this word—”

“_One_.”

“And I’m sorry for everything. I love you, okay?”

Evie pulled Mal into and embrace, back on the couch so that Mal was on top of her. “So Jay didn’t let you stay over at his place?”

“No.” Mal laughed. “But he was right. I needed to talk it out with you.”

“I really can’t stay mad at you. It’s impossible,” Evie sighed.

“It’s just not in your nature. Especially because you love me,” Mal teased, earning a poke at her side.

Three in the morning, Mal checked. They both knew they would stay there, in that position, forever. The flowers she bought from the gas station lay on the coffee table in front of them. 

“Did you like the flowers?” she asked.

“No.” Evie was half-awake at this point.

“Really?” Mal sniffed in mock offense. “You know, it’s hard to find flowers at two in the morning.”

“You didn’t need to buy me flowers, M. I would have let you back in anyway.”

  


**Author's Note:**

> come check me out on tumblr at loveydovely.tumblr.com


End file.
